Rising prices, growing hunger

Winnipeg Free Press

18 hours ago

Opinion
A trip to the grocery store is getting more expensive all the time.
Food prices are expected to rise by three to five per cent in Canada this year alone, with meat and vegetables leading the way. Buying cheaper food brings its own risks, as poor nutrition can lead to other health problems and a notable drop in school performance for children.
As Canadians struggle with rising food prices, we can empathize with people in other countries where prices are rising more than twice as fast, as revealed in this year's State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report, published Monday by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization.
Across Africa as a whole, where hunger is growing the fastest, people had to pay an average of 37 per cent more for a healthy diet in 2024 than in 2019.
The rising cost of food is due to factors beyond the control of individual families, with the biggest causes being changes in climate, government policies, and geopolitical conflicts.
In many African countries, a large percentage of the population work in the agriculture and food system — growing, processing, transporting, and selling food.
Most farmers have less than five hectares of land to grow food for their families, hoping to produce enough extra food to sell for income. One failed rainy season, or a fuel shortage making food transport difficult, means less food at home, and more expensive food in the market.
Families struggling financially might cope by cutting back on expensive foods like vegetables and meat, instead eating more rice or porridge — filling the belly, but lacking nourishment for growing minds.
Mothers often skip meals so their kids can eat, and when desperation hits, families sell their land or assets to buy food, putting their future livelihood at risk.
Canada and other industrial countries aim to reduce global hunger by providing food assistance in crisis situations and investing in agriculture and food systems to reduce hunger over the long term.
But with countries like Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, and other nations making significant cuts to their international aid budgets this year, there will be fewer resources to meet increasing needs.
The Canadian Foodgrains Bank, with support from the Canadian government and thousands of Canadians across the country, helps over one million people in 37 countries to eat better each year.
In contexts of crisis, such as in Gaza, this looks like emergency food assistance baskets provided for 143,000 people with support from two Foodgrains Bank members. 'I walked more than five kilometres to receive this package because it came at a critical time… I didn't know what I would feed my children today,' says project participant Nasim (a pseudonym used for security reasons).
Our work also includes provision of longer-term agriculture and livelihood support to improve food security in countries like the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
'I no longer go to (the) market for vegetables … I am walking on the path to food security,' says project participant Hélène, who built her own kitchen garden and influenced many others in her community to adopt conservation agriculture farming techniques.
While several partners supported by Foodgrains Bank members were impacted by the USAID cuts earlier this year — including Church World Service Africa, which lost over 500 staff in Kenya — we're inspired by their continued commitment to serving the most vulnerable.
Canada has long stood at the forefront of the fight against hunger, driving lasting change and fostering stability and prosperity around the world. As others step back, Canada must step forward to fill critical gaps emerging in humanitarian and development funding.
By prioritizing support for small-scale farmers and delivering food aid where it's needed most, Canada can help ensure no one is left behind in the mission to build a more secure, equitable world — one where food is affordable and accessible for all.
Paul Hagerman is the Director of Public Policy at Canadian Foodgrains Bank. He joined in 2007 and now oversees advocacy work on food security issues within the organization. Prior to his work with the Foodgrains Bank, Paul worked in agriculture for over 20 years in Canada, Africa, Asia and the Caribbean.